HOLY TRINITY HALL MEMORIAL 1914-18 - Kent Fallen

COOMBER, H. P. No exact trace, but best match is:-
COOMBER, HAROLD. Private, G/13619.
6th (Service) Battalion. The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Died 3 May 1917.
Born Snodland, Kent. Enlisted Canterbury, Kent. Resided Folkestone, Kent.
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 2, and on the Dover,
Kent civic war memorial.
At the action fought at Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France on 3 May 1917 during
the ‘Third Battle of the Scarpe’, the 6th Battalion suffered at least 376 casualties amongst
its officers and other ranks they being a combination of killed, wounded and missing. The
battalion having spent the preceding night waiting in shell holes for zero hour which had
been set for 0345 hours, with “A” Company on the right flank, “B” Company on the left,
with “C” Company supporting, and the officers and men of “D” Company behind those
of “B” Company the battalion formed up ready to take part in the days attack. Exactly at
the agreed time the British artillery commenced firing as a prelude too, and in support of
the battalion, who as with the gunners also left their start area on time as ordered and set
off into total darkness, as the battalion pressed on every effort was made to keep
communication with them, Second Lieutenant McAuley, the battalion signaling officer
along with two of the battalion signalers and two orderlies, went forward to establish an
advanced HQ in what was known as Devil's Trench, but he later returned at 0430 hours
and reported that no communication had been possible. A fairly early indication however
that all was apparently going well, was when two German prisoners were sent back down
the line from the battalion, but at that time nothing definite could be ascertained, even
later on when daylight came, gunfire and snipers made it hard to get any news of how
matters were proceeding; but at dusk it was discovered that the battalion had already
suffered a substantial number of casualties, and that despite the sacrifices being made by
the battalion of all ranks the line in their front was practically as before.
With the growing concern of the continuous loss of officers at the time which was so
serious that Second Lieutenant’s Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp
and, arriving about 2200 hours, and very quickly were sent forward to reorganize the
remnants of the devastated battalion. Part of the objective allotted the battalion on the
morning of 3 May 1917 had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it was found after the
battalion had taken stock of its significant losses, that Second Lieutenant’s P. A
Cockeram and Norman O.F Gunther with about 40 men and a Lewis gun had actually got
there, only to then realize that they were completely isolated with the enemy infantry
having reformed its line behind them, and both sides being their original trenches, the
result being that three lines of Germans intervened between this handful of men and their
comrades, nothing daunted however, they held their own all day during which time they
accounted for many of the enemy soldiery surrounding them. Under the cover of darkness
when night fell, and by then having expended every cartridge and bomb they possessed,
they gallantly fought their way back again, breaking through one line after another, until
at last the two subalterns and thirteen of the men with them were able to report
themselves to battalion Head Quarters. The casualties in this terrible action were Second
Lieutenant’s John H Dinsmore and Harold V Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain John B
Kitchin died of wounds; Capt McDermott and Second Lieutenant’s Williams and H.G
Nesbitt wounded; Second Lieutenant’s Charles Warnington, Athol Kirkpatrick, H.W